Sales Manager

Full-time, hybrid (3 days office-based, 2 days wfh)
Twickenham TW1 3QS

The Opportunity

We are looking for an ambitious, resilient and highly commercially driven Sales Manager to play a key role in launching all about automation Detroit – the first US edition of the established European trade show series for industrial automation, robotics and digitalisation.

Taking place on 20–21 October 2027 at Vibe Credit Union Showplace in Novi, Michigan, this is a rare opportunity to join a show at the beginning of its US journey and help build a new event and customer community from the ground up.

all about automation has established a successful format across Europe by bringing technology providers together with automation, engineering and manufacturing professionals in a compact, highly focused trade show environment. Detroit represents the next major step in the brand's international expansion and its first launch into the US market.

This is a new-business-led sales role for someone who thrives on the challenge and opportunity of a launch. You will be responsible for identifying and engaging prospective exhibitors, building a strong pipeline and converting new customers into the founding exhibitor community for Detroit.

You will need a genuine hunter mentality: someone comfortable creating their own opportunities rather than relying on inbound leads, who can research a market, identify decision-makers, pick up the phone, tell a compelling story and confidently close business.

Launching a new event also requires resilience, curiosity and initiative. You will be selling a proposition without the benefit of a previous US edition, so you'll need to be able to articulate why Detroit, why all about automation and why now – using the success and credibility of the established European series while adapting the proposition to the needs of the US automation and manufacturing market.

This is a US-market-facing role, and flexibility around working hours is an essential requirement. The successful candidate must be willing and able to regularly work hours that align with customers and prospects in the United States. This will include working approximately 11am–7pm or 12pm–8pm on two to three days per week, with additional flexibility where required to maximise customer contact across US time zones.

The successful candidate must also be willing and able to travel to the United States as required by the business. This will include travel for the Detroit event itself and may include customer meetings, industry events, competitor shows, networking opportunities and other activity that supports the successful launch and growth of the event.

For someone excited by building something new, this is an opportunity to have a visible impact on the creation of a new international event and establish yourself within one of the world's most important manufacturing and automation markets.

Key Responsibilities

New Business Development & Prospecting

• Take ownership of building and converting a substantial new-business pipeline for the launch of all about automation Detroit.

• Identify, research and engage prospective exhibitors across the industrial automation, robotics, engineering, digitalisation and advanced manufacturing markets.

• Proactively generate your own leads through outbound calling, email, LinkedIn, market research, referrals, competitive events and industry networking.

• Map the US automation ecosystem and identify manufacturers, technology providers, systems integrators, distributors, software businesses and service providers that should be represented at the event.

• Identify relevant decision-makers and develop relationships across multiple stakeholders within target organisations.

• Maintain a consistently high level of outbound sales activity and prospect engagement.

• Manage prospects through the complete sales cycle, from initial contact and qualification through proposal, negotiation and close.

• Build urgency around participation in the inaugural Detroit edition and convert prospects into founding exhibitors.

• Consistently work towards and exceed individual revenue, exhibitor and activity targets.

Launch Sales & Market Development

• Become an expert in the all about automation proposition and confidently communicate the rationale behind bringing the established European format to the US.

• Develop a compelling sales story around the Detroit launch, clearly articulating the commercial opportunity for exhibitors and the value of joining the event from its first edition.

• Use the track record, exhibitor community and success of the European all about automation portfolio to build credibility with US prospects.

• Understand the characteristics of the Detroit and wider Midwest manufacturing market and translate these into persuasive commercial conversations.

• Develop knowledge of the automotive, machinery, plastics, electronics, robotics and advanced manufacturing sectors that make Michigan and the Midwest an important market for industrial automation.

• Gather market intelligence from customers and prospects and feed this back into the wider event strategy.

• Identify potential barriers to participation and work creatively with the wider team to overcome them.

• Help establish all about automation as a credible new meeting place for the US automation and manufacturing community.

Pipeline Management & Commercial Performance

• Take full ownership of your sales pipeline, ensuring sufficient volume and quality of opportunities to achieve revenue targets.

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date CRM records, including prospect activity, next actions, opportunity values and expected close dates.

• Forecast revenue accurately and proactively identify gaps against target.

• Prioritise opportunities effectively and maintain momentum across a high volume of prospects.

• Use data and conversion metrics to understand performance and continuously improve sales activity.

• Negotiate confidently and commercially while protecting the value of the event proposition.

• Work independently and use initiative to identify new routes to market and opportunities for growth.

US Market Engagement, Travel & Industry Networking

• Regularly work US-aligned hours to ensure effective contact with prospects, customers and partners across relevant US time zones.

• Be willing and able to travel to the United States as required, potentially several times during the sales cycle and particularly around key industry events and the show itself.

• Attend relevant US automation, robotics, engineering and manufacturing trade shows and industry events to identify prospects and build relationships.

• Proactively approach and pitch prospective exhibitors face-to-face at competitive and complementary events.

• Travel for customer meetings, networking opportunities and other commercial activity where face-to-face engagement will help accelerate sales.

• Represent all about automation professionally and confidently as an ambassador for the brand in the US market.

• Build a strong personal network within the US industrial automation and manufacturing community.

• Attend and play an active commercial role onsite at the launch of all about automation Detroit.